Lesson focus:

To explore the effects of

institutionalisation by
investigating the
Romanian Orphan studies

What are the likely developmental effects on

a child who is raised in a poorly resourced
institution?

Institutionalisation: The effect that

institutional care has on an individual’s
development. The term can be applied
widely but is used in this context to
describe the impact that an institution
such as an orphanage can have on the
development of children.
 Hodges and Tizard (1989)
Aim: To investigate the effects of institutionalisation on children who had been
in residential care
Participants: 26 children who had been placed in residential care before 4
months of age. The care received by the children was impersonal as staff
Gardner (1972)
regularly changed and therefore could be viewed as been maternally deprived
Children in institutional care were observed to be physically small. or even privated. The children were then adopted.
Gardner concluded that a lack of emotional care rather than poor nourishment Method: The children were assessed by Hodges and Tizard when they were 6
can lead to Deprivational Dwarfism. years old and when then were 16 years old.
Results: No major difficulties were reported. Those difficulties that were
reported were in terms of the children’s social development: slight problems

What do each of the with relationships, and overfriendliness with strangers and sometimes being
seen at school as more aggressive and unpopular. However most children had
good relationships with their adoptive parents and did not show the severe

following suggest
effects that were predicted by Bowlby in his maternal deprivation hypothesis.

about the effects of

institutionalisation?
Quinton et al (1984) Goldfarb (1943)
Compared a group of 50 women who had been brought up in children’s homes Longitudinal study of 15 pairs of children up to the age of 10-14.
(institutions) with 50 women who had been brought up at home.
Experimental group: in institutional care up to the age of 3.
When the women were in their 20s, the ex-institutional group were observed
to be experiencing difficulties as parents (e.g. they had more children who had Control group: fostered soon after birth.
also spent time in care). Findings: The institutionalised group performed less well on a series of
cognitive and emotional measures compared to the fostered (control) group.
 Hodges and Tizard (1989)
Aim: To investigate the effects of institutionalisation on children who had been in
residential care
Participants: 26 children who had been placed in residential care before 4 months
of age. The care received by the children was impersonal as staff regularly changed
Gardner (1972)
and therefore could be viewed as been maternally deprived or even privated. The
Children in institutional care were observed to be physically small. children were then adopted.
Gardner concluded that a lack of emotional care rather than poor nourishment Method: The children were assessed by Hodges and Tizard when they were 6
can lead to Deprivational Dwarfism. years old and when then were 16 years old.
Results: No major difficulties were reported. Those difficulties that were reported
were in terms of the children’s social development: slight problems with
relationships, and overfriendliness with strangers and sometimes being seen at
school as more aggressive and unpopular. However most children had good
relationships with their adoptive parents and did not show the severe effects that
were predicted by Bowlby in his maternal deprivation hypothesis.

Quinton et al (1984) Goldfarb (1943)

Compared a group of 50 women who had been brought up in children’s homes
(institutions) with 50 women who had been brought up at home.
When the women were in their 20s, the ex-institutional group were observed to
be experiencing difficulties as parents (e.g. they had more children who had also
spent time in care).
Longitudinal study of 15 pairs of children up to the age of 10-14.
Experimental group: in institutional care up to the age of 3.
Control group: fostered soon after birth.
Findings: The institutionalised group performed less well on a series of cognitive
and emotional measures compared to the fostered (control) group.
 Key terms
Disinhibited attachment – A type of disorganised
attachment where children do not discriminate
between people they choose as attachment figures.
Such children will treat near-strangers with
inappropriate familiarity (over friendliness) and may
be attention seeking.
Quasi – autistic symptoms – Autistic like patterns of
behaviour such as difficulties in communication,
social abilities, stereotyped and repetitive
behaviours.
Key study: Rutter and Songua Barke (2010)
Aim: To investigate the development of children from Romanian Orphanages in the
1990s to the UK.
Sample: 165 Romanian children who spent their early years in Institutional Care.
Procedure: The adoptees were tested at regular intervals (ages 4, 6, 11 and 15) to
assess their physical, cognitive and social development. Information also gathered
through interview with parents and teachers. Progress compared with a British
control group.
Findings: At the time of adoption, all Romanian children were developmentally
behind the British control group but had caught up by the age of 4. Improvements
were most marked in children adopted before the age of 6 months. Follow-up
studies demonstrate some social problems persist in those adopted after the age of
6 months: disinhibited attachments / quasi-autistic symptoms / poor peer relations.
Conclusions: The consequences of institutionalisation are not as severe as once
thought, when children are given the opportunity to develop attachments.
However, when children do not form attachments then the consequences are likely
to be severe. The long term effects are greater for those adopted after the age of 6
months.
Aim: Sample: Procedure:

Implications:
Context:

Conclusions:

Findings